Category: New

Our second learning day for 2019 took place on Saturday 19 October at Burley St Mattias’ Church Centre, St Matthias’ Street , LS4 2DZ

Talks:

Looking After Your Back: A talk by Marie and Bernadette from Leeds Sports Injury and Physiotherapy Clinic Ltd with demonstrations of core-muscle strengthening exercises, and warm-ups to do before starting heavy work.

After the Harvest: A talk about herbal infusions, balms and vinegars with lots of samples to sniff by Donna Cutting from Fork to Fork.

LAF Group Allotment Insurance Scheme: Ken Mulley-Smith told us about about LAF’s group allotment insurance scheme, and why it is very important for allotment associations to be adequately insured. (slides)

Bee Keeping: Alison from the Leeds Beekeepers Association told us about the life cycle of honey bees and why they are so important to allotments. She demonstrated some modern beekeeping equipment.

Fresh Veg 12 Months of the Year: A talk by Joe Foster from Hollin Lane Allotments about harvesting fresh vegetables all round, including the June “hungry gap”. (slides)

Allotments Question Time: Questions from the floor, and answers from our resident “experts”.

Plus Refreshments and Displays

Here is the description of our planned entry which was submitted with our application for the Harrogate Show.

Keen to grow and eat your own produce but only a limited growing space available?

Our border is a combination of healthy and tasty seasonal produce blended alongside pollinator friendly flowers and herbs which can easily be incorporated into your back garden.

We are demonstrating how a small garden space can be a decorative, sustainable and environmentally friendly hideaway but still provide us with a range of late summer fruit and vegetables as part of our year-round harvest.

The border is a blend of vegetables, herbs, annual and perennial flowers; creating a beautiful space where you can grow and eat your own healthy, tasty crops in an environmentally friendly way. We are using companion planting and edible flowers as part of this garden.

A small peaceful space in which to perch among the plants and rest, reflect or meditate – and harvest.

Leeds Allotments Federation is mounting a display at this years Harrogate Flower Show in the “Curated Spaces” class. It will be a mix of veg and flowers together. We need more volunteers to raise some plants in pots or troughs. We could also use few people to help set up the display earlier in the week, from  Monday the 9th September through Wednesday the 11th. If you can help, please get in touch with Rosie Hall (vicechair@leedsallotmentsfederation.org). 

People who have done this before always say it is great fun, and we usually come away with some top awards.

Gardeners at Cemetery Road Allotments in Huddersfield have scored a victory in the High Court against local council plans to develop their site. You may spot a familiar face in the photo.

A study reported by the BBC shows a decline in many kinds of wild bees and hoverflies across Britain.

A study of pollinators in Leeds, Bristol, Edinburgh and Reading has shown that allotments are the best urban environment for bees, including wild bees.

Volunteers in the Community

Phil Gomersall, Publicity Officer for Leeds Allotment Federation received

a certificate, on behalf of the Federation, in recognition of the outstanding contribution that the organisation makes to the citizens and communities of Leeds.

The certificate was presented by the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Cllr Graham Latty at a Civic Celebration for Small Groups and Charities in Leeds. The event was very well attended and held in the Lord Mayor’s Banqueting Suite in the Civic Hall.

 

Phil Gomersall, President of the National Allotment Society and also our Publicity Officer,  has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to Horticulture in Yorkshire. Well done, Phil, and well deserved!